Horry County assessing damage in wake of weekend’s storm

Horry County officials will spend the next few days assessing the damage to hundreds of homes, buildings and roads and begin cleanup after a drenching storm dropped as much as 24 inches of rain on the area over the weekend.

Damage could worsen for those who live along the Waccamaw River in Conway, as forecasters expect the river to crest as high as 15.9 feet. The flood state for Waccamaw River is 11 feet.

Horry County spokeswoman Lisa Bourcier said police, fire and rescue officials were on the streets Monday to double check roads that had been closed to see what the damage had been and if they could be reopened.

Road damage and flooding along portions of major roads such as U.S. Highway 501, Grissom Parkway and U.S. Highway 701 caused Horry County Schools and Georgetown County Schools to cancel classes Tuesday.

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Many areas of Horry County got total weekend rainfall in the double digits, ranging from 8.92 inches measured in Galivants Ferry as of 8 a.m. Monday to Longs being measured at 23.74 inches as of 10:15 a.m. Monday.

Bourcier said it was too early to tell if there had been any sinkholes created or other damage to the pavement and officials were waiting for the water to recede.

“Our issue is going to be our dirt roads,” she said. “We have 600 miles of dirt roads in the county. So our public works people are going to have a lot to assess and repair as needed.”

Bourcier said it would take some time to determine the cost of all of the damage to homes and infrastructure.

“Hundreds of homes have had water damage, starting with North Myrtle Beach and Little River on Friday,” she said. “And then Conway, Aynor, Carolina Forest, Forestbrook, the homes along Palmetto Point Boulevard – they’ve all had water intrusion and flooding. It really is all over the county.”

In Myrtle Beach, police assisted residents in the Grande Dunes neighborhood by boat Monday morning after the road collapsed at San Marcello Drive at Scala Court.

Bourcier said the Horry County rescue crews assisted some people out of their homes – though she did not have a count of those assisted – and that many of those leaving their homes went voluntarily.

“People would call and say they needed help,” she said. “They were leaving at night and it was dark so they were scared, or they wanted to leave but their vehicle was flooded.”

Hundreds of homes have had water damage, starting with North Myrtle Beach and Little River on Friday. And then Conway, Aynor, Carolina Forest, Forestbrook, the homes along Palmetto Point Boulevard – they’ve all had water intrusion and flooding. It really is all over the county.”

Horry County spokeswoman Lisa Bourcier

The county opened shelters for those who left their homes and as of Monday afternoon there were 16 people staying across three shelters.

He encouraged people flying into or out of the airport to visit www.flymyrtlebeach.com to track arrival and departure status of flights. At 1:15 p.m. Monday, three arriving flights and four departing flights were listed as being delayed, which is not unusual for the airport.

Forecasters from the National Weather Service in Wilmington said Monday afternoon that Horry and Georgetown counties were expected to get only an additional .01 to .1 inches of rain by Tuesday morning.

“Good news regarding additional rainfall as the amounts were lowered through the afternoon and evening,” NWS meteorologist Steve Pfaff said Monday afternoon. “Regardless, fast moving showers are still possible through that time but drier conditions are on the way.”

Wind gusts were expected to pick up later Monday, which Pfaff said could cause downed trees and power outages. Santee Cooper reported about 75 customers being without power as of 1:30 p.m. Monday.

Meteorologists said the Waccamaw River in Conway is experiencing major flooding and said they would turn their attention to monitoring the river forecast.

Meteorologists said if the water crests at the predicted 15.9 feet it would be the third-highest crest in history, and exceed levels experienced during the 1998 El Nino event.

Pfaff said residents could see flooding of the Waccamaw River into the beginning of next week.

Reporter Jennifer Donovan contributed to this report.

Rain totals for Horry County

Location

Total in inches

When measured

Longs

23.74

10:15 a.m. Monday

North Myrtle Beach

15.3

8 a.m. Monday

Myrtle Beach

15.21-17.4

8 a.m. Monday

Conway

7.99

8 a.m. Sunday

Murrells Inlet

14.05

8 a.m. Monday

Loris

5.31-6.47

8 a.m. Sunday

Crabtree Swamp in Conway

14.3

8 a.m. Monday

Surfside Beach

5.39

8 a.m. Sunday

Galivants Ferry

8.92

8 a.m. Monday

Socastee

17.8

10 a.m. Monday

Tips to stay safe during floods

• Stay away from any downed electrical wires and report them to authorities

• Do not attempt to cross flowing water on roadways. As little as six inches of water may cause drivers to lose control of their vehicle. Two feet of water will carry most cars away.

• Be aware that flooding on roadways can be difficult to see and assess at night. Avoid driving if conditions seem unsafe.

• Be aware of potential flash flooding. If there is any possibility of a flash flood, move to higher ground. Do not wait to be told to move.

• Do not walk through moving water. Six inches of moving water is enough to make a person fall. If you have to walk in water, walk where the water is not moving. Use a stick to check the firmness of the ground in front of you.

• Do not drive into flooded areas. If floodwaters rise around your car, abandon the car and move to higher ground if you can do so safely. You and the vehicle could be quickly swept away.

• Avoid floodwaters; water may be contaminated by oil, gasoline or raw sewage. Water may also be electrically charged from underground or downed power lines.

Source | Georgetown County

Still use caution after the floodwaters recede

• Listen for news reports to learn whether the community’s water supply is safe to drink.

• Be aware of areas where floodwaters have receded. Even if the roadway of a bridge or elevated highway looks normal, the support structures below may be damaged.

• Stay clear of downed power lines and report them to your power company.

• Use extreme caution when entering buildings; there may be hidden damage, particularly to foundations. Stay out of any building that is surrounded by floodwaters.

• Clean and disinfect everything that got wet. Mud left from floodwater can contain sewage and other harmful chemicals.